Did you know this? Surprising Titbits on Hair

Did you know that blondes have the largest number of hairs on their heads? Does it surprise you that one of three women regularly dyes her hair? Did you ever do the math on Rapunzel’s hair? It would have taken Rapunzel several hundred years to grow her fairy tale hair to full length. Join us in our discovery of the interesting, curious and amazing facts on hair

Yards and more yards of hair on the head of an infant only exist in fairy tales. In real life, hair grows only between 0.2 and 0.4 mm (8 – 16 thousands of an inch) per day or about one centimetre (0.4") per month. Currently, the US American Diane Witt from Massachusetts holds the record as the woman with the longest hair. The hair of this US Rapunzel measures almost four metres (4.4'). Only one person ever beat Diane Witt's record. By the end of the 1940s the hair of the Indian Swami Pandarasandhi was reported to measure a grand total of 7.93 metres (8.67').

Redheads Have Fewer Hairs

Blondes are lucky; on average they have the largest number of hairs on their head. While blonde women have an average of 150,000 hairs, the average redhead counts only 90,000 hairs on her head. On average, women with brown or black hair count about 110,000 or 100,000 hairs, respectively. We must point out though, that blonde women also have the finest hair. Usually, naturally black hair is especially thick. The black hair of Indian women is an example for especially thick hair. Redheads are equally blessed with strong individual hairs.

Hair Dies Young

Hair grows for a while, stays around for a bit and then falls out. An individual hair may survive for two to five years. Then it stops growing and remains on the head for several months. Finally, it falls out and makes room for a new hair. Losing 50 to 100 hairs per day is therefore quite normal.

Blonde Hair Sells

"Blondes are less intelligent." As is the case for most prejudices, this one has been around for a while and is here to stay. There is of course ample but generally ignored evidence to the contrary. One third of all highly intelligent Mensa members are blondes.
Prejudices notwithstanding, blondes are magicians at selling products, information and images. Two of three German TV female moderators are blonde. Recently, a survey revealed that blonde English cashiers netted 20 % more sales than their peers with other hair colours.

Men Also Like Colour in Their Hair

One of three women regularly dyes her hair. Today, one of ten men also reaches for colouring treatments. Men do however draw the line when it comes to streaks. Only 3 % put streaks into their hair. In terms of hair care, men rank on top. In the age group between 24 and 34, 56 % of men wash their hair daily compared to only 30 % of women in the same age bracket.

First in Hair Beauty Products: Shampoo

94 % of all women consider shampoo the most important hair care product bar none. They also would not think of dispensing with their hair spray. 60 per cent of all women use hair spray occasionally and 24 per cent even use it daily.

Good Hair is Dear

On average, Germans pay € 22 for a haircut. Hair stylists in New York top this any day. In some salons, a haircut costs as much as a short trip to Paris, flight ticket included. Orlando Pita, hair stylist of Naomi Campbell, is known as the priciest hair stylist. A haircut in the salon of the master in Manhattan’s Gansevoort Street costs about $ 800 (€ 570). Almost a bargain by comparison is a haircut by Pita’s colleague Sally Hershberger whose claim to fame includes Meg Ryan's shag haircut. She asks a 'mere' $ 600 (€ 430) for one haircut.

The Auction Gavel Comes Down on Celebrity Hair

Hair is not really all that valuable even on the heads of stars. This however may change after death. As a relic, hair may turn into a precious and rare commodity. In 2004, a fan in Hong Kong won a single hair of the former Beatle John Lennon at an auction in Gerona. This fan paid the incredible amount of € 3,460 for a single hair of John Lennon. 1980 in France, two small strands of hair from the French Queen Marie-Antoinette and her son were sold for a whopping € 5,000 at auction. To top it all, in 2006 the silvery grey hairpiece once worn by the artist Andy Warhol was auctioned off for as much as $10,800 Dollar (about € 7,700) by the US auction house Christie's.